The Upper East Side of Manhattan is east of Central Park, running from Fifth Avenue to the East River and extending north from 59th Street to 110th Street, where it borders East Harlem. The neighborhood encompasses several subneighborhoods: Lenox Hill (59th St to 77th St between Fifth and Lexington Aves), Carnegie Hill (86th St to 96th St between Fifth and Lexington Aves) and Yorkville (79th St to 96th St from Third Ave to the East River).

Visitors may be surprised to discover that this affluent and densely populated area of Manhattan is not particularly well served by public transportation. The Upper East Side has a sole subway route traversing its length, along Lexington Avenue. Comprising the 4 and 5 express lines and the 6 local (famous as the setting of The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3), it runs from Brooklyn to the Bronx. You can also access the southern section of the neighborhood from downtown or midtown Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens via the N, Q, R and the F. The long-anticipated Second Avenue subway line will markedly improve the situation—the first phase, from 63rd to 96th Streets, is slated for completion by late 2016. If you're coming from the Upper West Side, your best bet is a bus: Crosstown buses operate on the main thoroughfares: 65th/68th St (66th St heading west), 72nd St, 79th St, 86th St, 96th St and 106th St.